Environment

Chemicals In the Environment

 

Department

 

Department of the Sustainability, Environment, Water, Heritage, Population and Communities (DSEWPaC) – http://www.environment.gov.au/

Chemicals provide society with a wide range of benefits, but they have the potential to cause environmental problems throughout their life cycle, from production through to disposal. To ensure chemicals are managed safely to protect the environment, DSEWPAC undertakes environmental assessments of industrial and agricultural chemicals for NICNAS and the APVMA; develops guidelines and standards to reduce production of hazardous chemicals; helps develop international agreements to restrict use, production, and emission/release of hazardous chemicals, or for the sharing of information about them; gathers information about persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and develops strategies to reduce or eliminate them.

Regulatory standard-setting body

 

National Chemicals Environmental Working Group (NChEMWG) – http://www.ephc.gov.au/taxonomy/term/75

 

Assessment body

 

Chemical Assessment Section (CAS) (within DSEWPaC) – http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/
chemicals/index.html

 

Ministerial councils

 

Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC) – http://www.ephc.gov.au/

National Environment Protection Council (NEPC) – http://www.environment.gov.au/about/
councils/nepc/index.html

 

Standing committee

 

Environment Protection and Heritage Standing Committee (EPHSC) – http://www.ephc.gov.au/news

 

Acts and regulations

 

National Environment Protection Council Act 1994 – http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Series/C2004A04799

 

Hazardous Waste (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act 1989 – http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/
chemicals/hazardous-waste/guide.html and http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Series/C2004A03937

 

Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 – http://www.environment.gov.au/epbc/ and http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/
consol_act/epabca1999588/

 

Framework

 

National Framework for Chemicals Environmental Management (NChEM) – http://www.ephc.gov.au/taxonomy/term/75

 

International bodies

 

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants – http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/chemicals/international/index.html

 

Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) –

http://www.saicm.org/index.php?ql=h&content=home

 

Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) – http://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/reach/reach_intro.htm and http://echa.europa.eu/chem_data_en.asp

 

Montreal Protocol – http://www.environment.gov.au/atmosphere/
ozone/legislation/montp.html and http://ozone.unep.org/pdfs/Montreal-Protocol2000.pdf

 

Rotterdam Convention – http://www.pic.int/home.php?type=s&id=77

 

Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD) - http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/

 

OECD Joint Meeting of the Chemicals Committee and the Working Party on Chemicals, Pesticides and Biotechnology – http://www.oecd.org/document/21/
0,2340,en_2649_34365_34464597_1_1_1_1,00.html

 

Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) –http://www.unitar.org/cwm/ghs